Woodie (rapper)

Ryan Mitchell Wood (November 20, 1975 – March 7, 2007) was a rapper from Antioch, California, who performed and recorded under the stage name Woodie. Woodie is best known for his song "Norte Sidin'".

Biography

At the age of 10, he moved from San Leandro, California to Antioch, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Around the age of 14, Wood became immersed in gang life and joined the Nortenos street gang. In the mid-1990s, his friend, Carlos "Blackbird" Ramirez, was shot to death by the police; another close friend, Gabriel "Snoop" Roberson was sentenced to life in prison. Wood himself served one year in Folsom State Prison for assault with a deadly weapon. Following his conviction, Wood was prohibited from residing in Antioch.

Woodie started his own record company, East Co Co Records, in 1997; the name a reference to East Contra Costa County, where Antioch is located. He released his debut album, Yoc Influenced, in 1998, selling thousands of copies in the Bay Area on the strength of the song "Norte Sidin'", and gaining national exposure.

The following year, East Co Co released Northern Expozure Vol. 1, most of the ''Northern Expozure's tracks are woodie's but the albums also contain tracks from other artists. The Northern Expozure's cd's were a great success reaching Vol. 7 (skipping Number 3)

Koch Records signed Woodie and released his second solo album, Demonz n My Sleep, in 2001. In 2002, Life Storiez Vol. 1, which compiled tracks from his earlier albums, was released.

On March 7, 2007, Woodie died of an allegedly self-inflicted gunshot wound in Oregon.

Lyrical themes

Having an atypical family life, as well as losing numerous close friends to gang violence shaped Wood's darker musical direction. Woodie's early work was mostly gang themed, with violent lyrics depicting the harsh realities of gang life. His lyrics often depicted gruesome events involving rival gang members, and close personal friends that died. His motto was "Loyalty above all laws".

Later in his career, fueled by his intense paranoia of law enforcement, Wood became fascinated with political issues. This interest was reflected in songs made in the twilight of his career. Recurring themes during this time were unlawful government surveillance, American foreign policy, and social injustice. Wood was especially critical of the Patriot Act, enacted by President Bush in 2001. Wood was highly critical of Marco "Ammunition" Sanchez, a local rapper, following his decision to join the military.

Discography

Solo albums

• 1998: Yoc Influenced
• 2001: Demonz n My Sleep
• 2002: Life Storiez Vol. 1

Collaboration albums

• 1999: Northern Expozure Vol. 1
• 2001: Northern Expozure Vol. 2
• 2002: Northern Expozure Vol. 4
• 2004: Northern Expozure Vol. 5
• 2005: Northern Expozure Vol. 6
• 2006: Woodie & A-Wax – 2 Sides of the Game
• 2006: Northern Expozure Vol. 7
• 2007: Woodie, Never, Lil Coner – Pistoleros

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References

es:Woodie (rapper)